Vending machine



Jan. 2, 1934. A. D. ANTOINE ET AL VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 23, 1950 4 Sheets Sheet 1 Jan. 2, 1934. A. D. ANTOINE [-1- AL 1,941,781

VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 uZ/eri L 7 6656/2 v v A. D. ANTOINE ET AL 1,941,781

VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 23, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 QZZZeJ Z E 6 5672:

Patented Jan. 2 1934 PATENT OFFICE 'vENDING MACHINE Alfred D. Antoine, Chicago, and Albert E. Gebert, Wilmette, Ill.,- assignors to Advance Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 23, 1930 Serial No. 483,863

V 19 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines of the type in which the articlesito be vended are arranged in one or more columns, each column consisting of supports ar- .5 ranged one above the other and properly spaced to receive the articles therebetween, each of the supports holdingits respective article or articles, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved machine of this character in which the supports are preferably pivotally mounted and provided with locking or retaining means for maintaining them against pivotal or tilting action. V

A further object is toprovide improved means 15 which,,upon the insertion of a proper coin or token, maybe operated to unlock or release the supports to allow the same to tilt tov discharge the article or articles supported thereby, and the supportsare successively unlocked and tilted by the successive insertion of a proper coin or token until the machine is emptied.

A further objectis-to provide improved means responsive in its operation to the operation of the support unlocking or releasing means for 5 preventing the delivery of the coin or token into the machine in the .absence of articles on the supports, and for causingthe coin or token to be returned to the operator when the machine is empty.

v To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of noveltyin substantially the construction, combination and arrangementof the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown inthe accompanying drawings illustrating this invention and in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of a machineof this character constructed in accorda'nce with -the principles of this invention, and

withthe rearplateremorred.

=Figure'2 is -a .-horizontal sectional view taken on line 2--2, Figure 1.

' Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view taken online 3- 3, Figure 1, with parts omitted and showing some-of the parts in different positions. ;Figure 4 is a" sectional view taken-on line 4-4, Figure 2, with parts omitted.

7 Figure 5 is a detail irregular'sectional view talgen" on line 5[5 Figure 4, with parts omitted.

F1g111'6;6ji a detail perspective view showing one of the pivotally mounted supports, the looking means therefor and the. mechanism for tripping or releasing the locking means.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on line 7-7, Figure 4, with parts omitted.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are detail views of portions of the coin controlled mechanism, showing some of the parts in different positions.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 7, showing the parts in different positions.

Figure 12 is a detail perspective view of one of the controlling dogs for the coin controlled mechanism. 7

Figure 13 is a detail perspective view of the locking and actuating discs for the coin controlled mechanism.

Figure 14 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, as taken on line 1414, Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral designates a suitable casing in which the mechanism is arranged and the casing is provided with a removable back 21, suitably secured in position to permit access to the interior of the machine.

Arranged within the casing 20 are spaced uprights 2223, and these uprights may be supported in any suitable manner preferably from the front wall 24 of the casing. The uprights are arranged in pairs 2223, and are preferably formed of angle iron but may be of any other desired formation, and the pairs of uprights are spaced from each other to form a channel 25 between the proximate uprights 22 of the pairs.

Extending through each of the uprights 2223 are cross bars or rods 26 which are preferably stationary and are spaced from the'front wall 24. These bars or rods are spaced above each other for any desired or suitable distance and pivotally mounted upon each of the rods are a pair of supports 2'7, one being arranged between each of the pairs of uprights 22-23.

Each of the uprights 22 is provided with a slot or cut away portion 28, preferably formed on an 5 are described from the center of the pivot of the support, and in one of the walls of the slot or cut away portion 28 is a recess 29 communicating with the slot. Pivotally mounted upon each of the supports 27 as at 30 is a latch or fastening member 31 which extends beyond the side of the support 27 and projects into the slot or open portion 28. A spring 32 is so arranged as to normally move the fastening member 31 about its pivot in a direction to hold the edge thereof 5 against one of the walls of the slot or cut away portion 28 so that when the support 27 is moved about its pivot from the position shown in Figure 1 (the lowermost support) to the position shown in Figure 6, the fastening member 31 will move over the wall of the slot until it is in alinement with the recess 29, at which time the spring 32 will cause the fastening member to swing into the recess 29, and thereby lock the support 27 in its elevated position and against a tilting movement.

One of these fastening devices and one of the slots or cut away portions 28 with its recess 29 is provided for each of the supports 27 and the supports 27 of the respective columns are so arranged that they will be spaced above each other for a sufficient distance to permit the reception therebetween of the article or articles to be held by the support.

Arranged within the channel 25 are spaced guides 33 to form a guideway 34 and the guides 33 are preferably spaced for a short distance from the respective uprights 22 to form a space 35 between the edges of the guides and the respective members 22.

A member 36 is slidably mounted upon the guides 33 to move within the channel 25 and this member 36 is provided with laterally deflected portions 37 that enter and move within the channels 25, the body of the member 36 moving against the face of the guides 33. The upper ends of the deflected portions 37 of the member 36 are shaped to form cams 38 that are adapted, when the member 36 is moved in one direction, to successively engage behind the looking members 31, see particularly Figure 6, to

move the latter about its pivot 30 against the stress of the spring 32 and thereby unlock the support 27, so as to allow the latter to fall by gravity (see Figure 3) to dump or deliver the article supported thereby from the support so that it may be delivered to the operator through a suitable delivery opening 39.

The cam 38 on one side of the member 36 is preferably disposed below the cam on the other side of the member so that as the member 36 is advanced to trip or dump the supports, they will be alternately released or unlocked, first on one side and then on the other side of the member 36. That is, the member 36 moves between the two columns of supports 27 and as it is advancing it will release the lowermost support first from one column of supports and then from the other column of supports.

Any suitable means may be provided for operating the member 36 and any suitable means may be provided for holding the member 36 and guiding it along the guides 33. For that purpose a pin or projection 40 may be provided on the member 36 which enters and moves in the space or channel 34 between the guides 33.

Connected to the member 36 by one end as at 41, is a flexible member 42 preferably in the form of a chain embodying links pivotally connected together. The sides 43 (see particularly Figure 14) of the links engage the faces of the guides 33 and the pivots 44 of the links move in the channel or space 34 between the guides 33. This will insure a positive movement of the member 36 when the chain is operated and will also prevent the chain from buckling upon its links.

A sprocket wheel 45 is provided and held against displacement in any suitable manner such as by means of a member 46 extending thereover .and the teeth of the sprocket 45 mesh with the links of the chain 42, so that by rotating the sprocket 45 in one direction or the other, the member 36 with the cams 38 thereupon may be moved in one direction or the other.

The flexible member 42 as the member 36 is lowered, will fold upon itself into a suitable receptacle or container 47 arranged at the bottom of the machine and as the member 36 is moved in the opposite direction, will be paid out of the receptacle 47 by the operation of the sprocket wheel 45.

Any suitable means may be provided for operating the sprocket wheel 45, but a simple and efficient means embodies a shaft 48 which is angular in cross section and passes through a similarly shaped opening in the sprocket 45 so that whenever the shaft 48 is rotated the sprocket wheel 45 will be correspondingly rotated.

On one end of the shaft 48 is arranged an operating handle or button 49. The other end 50 of the shaft 48 is angular in cross section so as to fit into an opening 51 of a similar shape in a disc 52 (see particularly Figures 11 and 13) to be hereinafter described.

The end 50 of the shaft 48 is normally held seated in the recess 51 preferably by means 'of a spring 52 which engages a support 53 by one end and a washer 54 by its other end, the washer in turn resting against a pin 55 in the shaft.48.

The shaft 48 is" adapted to be retracted from the full line position shown inFigure '4, to the dotted line position so as to move the angular extremity 50 of the shaft out of the recess 51 in the disc 52, at which time this end of the shaft will be supported by a suitable support 56 and when so removed against'the stress ofthe spring 52 the sprocket wheel-15 may be rotated in one direction or the other to move the member 36 along the guides 33 'in one direction or the other. 1

Thus it will be seen that with this construction and after all of the supports 27 have been tilted or allowed to drop or caused to drop, the shaft 48 may be moved to the dotted line position in Figure 4', so as to permit the sprocket.45 to be rotated in a direction to lower the member 36 so as to permit of a resetting or'refilling of the machine. I q 1 During the operation of the machine and when it is desired to vend the articles, a proper' token or coin is dropped into the machine and the coin controlled mechanism operated in a manner to impart a rotation to the shaft 48,'while the end thereof is seated in the recess 51 of the disc 52. The disc 52 has a constant direction' of rotation, as will be described, and this direction is such as to cause the member 36 to'adv'ance one step upon the insertion of each proper check or token and thereby trip or r'eIease one of the supports 27. r

Any suitable coin controlled mechanism may be provided for that purpose. Suffice it to say that the coin controlled mechanism preferably embodies a coin 'or token carrying disc 57 (see particularly Figures 7 *to113) havinga check or token seat 58 therein'opening through the periphery, and which 'discis adapted tohemtated forwardly and backwardly, upon the 'deposit of a proper check or. token, by means of a suitable operating handle 59, so as toinvertthe seat to cause the check or token to drop there from upon a suitable support- 60. -Connected with the handle 59 is anarm; 61 (see- Figure 4) upon which is pivotally mounted .a dog 62that is adapted to co-operate with the disc 5 2,.the lat ter being provided with seats or openings f63, any number of which my be provided,here. shown as four. Connected. tothe disc52 to rotate therewith is another disc64, having recesses 65 opening through its periphery. The discs 52 and 64 are disconnected from the disc 5'7 and are adapted to be rotated by the dog or pawl 62 upon the insertion of the proper coin or token.

A retaining dog 66 is pivotally mounted as at 6'7 and is provided with a portion 68 that is adopted to enter one of the recesses 65 in the disc 64 to lock both of the discs against operation. This retaining dog 66 is controlled by a spring 69 that tends to move the portion 68 into the notches 65, when the latter are in a position to receive the same and to hold the portion 68 against the periphery of the disc 64 when the latter is rotated,

When the check or token '10 (see particularly Figure 10) is deposited upon the support the portion 68 of the dog 66 will remain seated in one ofthe notches until the direction of rotation of the check carrying disc 57 is reversed by the handle 59, at which time a projection '71 on the check carrying disc 5'7 will engage the check or coin '70 and force the same against a portion '72 of the retaining dog 66 and thereby move the portion '72 away from the support 66 a'sufiicient distance to permit the check or token '70 to be forced between the two. During this operation the portion 68 of the retaining dog will be moved out of the recess 65. The check or token '70 will be deposited upon the support 60 at approximately the time that the dog 62 is at the limit of its forward movement. That is, by the time that the dog 62 is moved from the position shown in Figure '7 to the position shown in Figure 11.

During the movement of the dog 62 from the position shown in Figure '7 to the position shown in Figure 11, it will be held against dropping into one of the notches or recesses 63 by means of another dog '73 which is pivotally mounted as at '74 and is provided with an arm having a cam portion '75 arranged to be moved into and out of the path of movement of a projection 62 on the dog 62. The movement of this dog '73 is controlled by the movement of the dog 66, and to 7 that end the dog '73 is provided with another arm '76 having a bifurcation '77 in one end thereof which is so positioned as to stand astride of the locking portion 68 of the dog 66. The spring 69 will then operate as a means for normally holding the cam '75 of the dog '73 in a position to prevent the dog 62 from becoming active with respect to the disc .52.

The normal position of the dog '73 is shown in Figure '7, but when a proper check or token is inserted and the dog 66 moved about its pivot 6'7 to move the portion 68 out of the notch or recess 65 in the disc 64, such portion operating in the bifurcation "17 of the arm '76 of the dog '73 will move the dog '73 about its pivot '74 to the position shown in Figure 11, thereby allowing the end of the dog 62, at the proper time, to enter one of the notches or recesses 63 in the disc 52 to rotate the latter, together with the disc 64 and thus through the medium of the recess 51 into which the end of the shaft 48 projects, rotate the shaft 48 and with it the sprocket wheel 45 to advance the member 36.

As before stated, after the member 36 has reached the limit of its movement under the influence of the coin controlled mechanism so as to trip the supports 2'7, the member 36 may be retracted by withdrawing the handle 49 to unseat the end of the shaft 48 from the recess 51 so that the sprocket wheel 45 may be rotated in the opposite direction independently with respect to the discs 52 and 64.

The dog 62 is bodily moved in one direction by the handle 59 against the stress of a spring '78 when the check carrier 57 is invertedto discharge a check '70 therefrom, but during this movement of the check carrier 5'7 the :discs 52 and 64 will be held against rotation by the looking dog 66.

When the handle 59 is turned in the opposite direction, assisted by the action of the spring '78 the dog 62 will be moved correspondingly and the locking dog 66 will be shifted to effect an operation of the sprocket wheel 45 in' the'manner just recited.

In order to prevent the deposit of the check or token. '70 into the machine and thereby lose the same to the operator in the event that the machine is emptied of packages or articles, any suitable means may be provided, but a; simple and eflicient means embodies an arm '79 which is pivotally mounted in suitable bearings. One end of this arm is bent forwardly as at 81, see particularly Figure 4, so as to assume a position adjacent the path of movement of the periphery of the check or token '70, when the latter is seated in the-seat 58 and thereby hold the check or token from dropping from the seat 58 to the support 60.

This arm is controlled in its operation by the flexible member 42 (-see particularly Figures! and 5)' and to that end one end 83 of the arm '79 is connected in any suitable manner (see par ticularly Figure 5) with the extremity, of the flexible member 42 as at 84, and it will therefore be manifest that when the member 36 is approaching the limit of its upward movement by the sprocket wheel 45, and inthe eventthat there are no packages in the machine, which will happen at the time thatthelast ,support. 27 is tripped and. dumped, the flexible member 42 will exert a pull upon the portion 83 of the arm '79 and rock the latter in its bearings 80 so as to position the portion 81 of the arm '79 so as to hold the check or token '70 from dropping out of the check seat 58. I .When the machine contains packages, and a portion of the'flexible member 42 is folded upon itself in the receptacle or container 47-, the weight of the flexible member together with the portion 83 of the arm '79 will be sufficient to rock the arm '79 in a direction about its bearing 80 so as to remove the portion'81 from the path of move ment of the check '70 to allow the same to drop out of the seat 58, to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, thereby allowing the check to drop or fall into the machine. 7 t

It is thought that the operation of this device will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, but briefly stated it is as follows,

The initial position of the member 36 is at the lowermost point of the columns and the supports 2'7 will be elevated about their pivots until the respective locking members 31 enter the recesses 29 to hold them against dropping.

A portion of the flexible member 42 will be folded in the container 47 and the extremity 81 of the arm '79 will be retracted while the spring 52 will hold the forward end of the shaft 48 seated in the socket 51 of the disc 52.

The dog 66 together with the dog '73 will be in the position shown in Figure '7 and the dog 62 will also be in the position shown in Figure '7, the spring 69 operating to hold the cam '75 of the dog '73 in a position to prevent the end of the dog 62 from entering one of the notches or recesses 63 in the disc 52.

Upon the insertion of a proper check or token the handle 59 is operated to move the check carrier to the position shown in Figure 10, to deposit the check upon the support 60. At this time the dog 62 will be moved to the position shown in Figure 11 and the cam 75 will be lowered when the movement of the check carrier 5'7 is reversed and at the time that the projection '71 forces the check or token '70 between the support 60 and the portion 72 of the dog 66. This will rock the dog 66 to move the portion 68 out of the recess 64 in the disc 64, and at the same time will rock the dog '13 about the pivot 74 to lower the cam 75, thereby allowing the dog 62 to enter one of thenotches 63 in the disc 52 to rotate the discs 64 and 52 and consequently the sprocket wheel 45 one step of movement. This will advance the member 36 so as to cause one or the other of the cams 38 thereon to engage the locking member 31 of the lowermost support 27 to release the latter and allow it to tilt (see Figure 3) and discharge the articles supported therefrom, to a position to be delivered to the operator through the delivery opening 39 of the machine;

After the machine has been emptied, the shaft 48 may be Withdrawn by means of the handle 49 against the stress of the spring 52 to move the extremity of the shaft 48 out of the socket 51 of the disc 52 and thereby permit of a free rotation of the sprocket Wheel 45 with respect to the discs 52 and 64, so as to permit the member 36 with its operating cams 38 to be retracted so as to allow the supports 27 to be swung back to an operative position so that articles may be supported thereby.

When the handle 49 is released, the spring 52 will cause the end of the shaft 48 to be again seated in the recesses 51 in the disc 52, thereby connecting the sprocket wheel 45 with the coin controlled mechanism.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:-

1. In a vending machine a plurality of article holders mounted for shifting movement, locking means for restraining said holders against such movement, a releasing member for successively rendering said locking means inactive to permit the respective holders to be shifted, flexible means for advancing said releasing member, coin controlled mechanism for controlling the actuation of said releasing member, and means to which one end of said flexible means is connected, for controlling said coin controlled mechanism.

2. In a vending machine a plurality of article holders mounted for shifting movement, locking means for restraining said holders against such movement, a releasing member for successively rendering said locking means inactive to permit the respective holders to be shifted, coin controlled mechanism for controlling the actuation of said releasing member, means responsive to the operation of the said releasing member for controlling said coin controlled mechanism, and means for disconnecting said releasing member with respect to said coin controlled mechanism and for bodily shifting said releasing member when so disconnected.

3. In a vending machine a plurality of article holders, means mounting the same for shifting movement, locking means for maintaining the same against such shifting movement, a Shift! able member for rendering the said locking means inactive, actuating means for the said shiftable member, a flexible connection between the said shiftable member and the said actuating means therefor, said flexible connection embodying pivotally connected links, and means other than the actuating means for said flexible connection for maintaining said links against buckling with respect to each other when said shiftable member is moved thereby.

4. In a vending machine a plurality of article holders, means mounting the same for shift-'- ing movement, locking means for maintaining the same against such shifting movement, a shiftable member for rendering the said locking means inactive, actuating means for the said shiftable member, a flexible connection between the said shiftable member and the said actuating means therefor, said flexible connection embodying pivotally connected links, and guides between whicn portions of said links travel for maintaining the links against buckling with respect to each other when the shiftable member is moved thereby.

5. In a vending machine a plurality of spaced series of article holders, the holders of each series being mounted for independent pivotal movement, locking means individual to the holders for maintaining them against such pivotal movement, 2. releasing member, a portion of said looking means being disposed adjacent the path of movement of said releasing member to be engaged thereby to release the said holders to permit them to swing about their pivots, and means for actuating said releasing member, said releasing member operating to alternately release the article holders in the adjacent series.

6. In a vending machine a series of article holders, means mounting them for shifting 120 movement one with respect to the other, locking means individual thereto for maintaining them against such movement, a releasing member, an actuator embodying a shaft, a sprocket wheel connected with the shaft, a sprocket chain con- 2 nected with said releasing member and engaging said sprocket, guides between which the links of the chain pass for maintaining the said links against buckling with respect to each other when the chain is pushed to move the releasing mem- 30 ber in advance thereof, and means for actuating said shaft.

7. In a vending machine a series of article holders, means mounting them for shifting movement one with respect to the other, locking means individual thereto for maintaining them against such movement, a releasing member, an actuator embodying a shaft, a sprocket wheel connected with the shaft, a sprocket chain connected with said releasing member and engaging said sprocket, guides between which the links of the chain pass for maintaining the said links against buckling with respect to each other when the chain is pushed to move the releasing member in advance thereof, an actuator for the shaft, and means whereby the said shaft may be disconnected with respect to the actuator whereby the shaft and sprocket wheel may be operated independently of said actuator.

8. In a vending machine a plurality of article .0

holders, means mounting them for pivotal movement, locking means individual thereto for maintaining them against such pivotal movement, a releasing member, a latch connected with each of said holders for maintaining them against such pivotal movement, portions of said latches extending into the path ,of movement of said releasing member to be successively engaged thereby to render them inactive to permit the holders to swing about their pivots, coin controlled mechanism, an operative connection between said coin controlled mechanism and saidreleasing member, and means for rendering said releasing member inactive withrespect to said coin controlled mechanism and for shifting said releasing member independently of said coin controlled mechanism.

9. In a vending machine a plurality of article holders, means mounting them for pivotal movement, locking means individual thereto for maintaining them against such pivotal movement, a releasing member, a latch connected with each of said holders for maintaining them against such pivotal movement, portions of said latches extending into the path of movement of said releasing member to be successively engaged thereby to render them inactive to permit the holders to swing about their pivots, coin controlled mechanism, an operative connection between said coin controlled mechanism and said releasing member, means for rendering said releasing member inactive with respect to said coin controlled mechanism and for. shifting said releasing member independently of said coin controlled mechanism, and means responsive in its operation to the operation of said releasing member for rendering said coin controlled mechanism inactive.

10. In a coin controlled machine, article holders, locking means therefor, a releasing member for unlocking said holders, coin controlled mechanism for controlling the actuation of said releasing member, a flexible member connected by one end with said releasing member, means operatively connected with said coin controlled mechanism and over which said flexible member passes to be operated thereby by the actuation of the last said means, means adapted to be moved into the path of movement of the coin out of the coin controlled mechanism, and an operative connection between the last said means and the other end of the said flexible member whereby the actuation of the coin controlled mechanism will be controlled bythe operation of said releasing member.

11. In a vending machine, a plurality of series of article holders spaced from each other, each of said series embodying individual and superposed article holders spaced from each other a suflicient distance to receive and hold articles therebetween, means individual to the article holders for mounting them for movements independent of each other, means for maintaining the article holders against such independent movement, and means movable in the space between the said series for successively adapting the article holders for such movement with respect to each other.

12. In a vending machine, a plurality of series of article holders spaced from each other, each of said series embodying individual and superposed article holders spaced from each other a sufilcient distance to receive and hold articles therebetween, means individual to the article holders for mounting them for movements independent of each other, and means movable in the space between the said series for successively adapting the article holders for such movement with respect to each other.

13. In a vending machine, a plurality of series of article holders spaced from each other, each of said series embodying individual and superposed article holders spaced from each other a sufficient distance to receive and hold articles therebetween, means individual to the article holders for mounting them for movements independent of each other, means for maintaining the article holders against such independent movement, and means movable in the space between said series for successively and alternately adapting the article holders of the adjacent series for such movements independent with respect to each other.

14. In a vending machine, a plurality of series of article holders spaced from each other, each of said series embodying individual and superposed article holders spaced from each other a suflicient distance to receive and hold articles therebetween, means individual to the article holders for mounting them for movements independent of each other, and means movable in the space between said series for successively and alternately adapting the article holders of the adjacent series for such movements independent with respect to each other.

15. In a vending machine, a plurality of article holders, means mounting them for shifting movement, locking means for maintaining the holders against such shifting movement, a shiftable member for rendering the said locking means inactive, actuating means for the shiftable member, a flexible connection between said shiftable member and the said actuating means therefor, said flexible connection embodying pivotally connected links adapted to be advanced and retracted by said actuating means in directions transverse to their pivots, and means other than the moving means for said flexible connection for maintaining the links of said flexible connection against buckling with respect to each other when the shiftable member is actuated in either direction of movement of said flexible connection.

16. In a vending machine, spaced article holders mounted for independent pivotal movement, locking means individual thereto for maintaining them against such pivotal movement, a releasing member for said locking means, a linked flexible member connected with said releasing member, means engaging said flexible member for moving the latter forwardly and backwardly in directions transverse to the pivots between said links, and means other than the moving means for the flexible member for maintaining the links against pivotal movement with respect to each other when said flexible member is moved either forwardly or backwardly.

17. In a vending machine, spaced article holders mounted for independent pivotal movement, locking means individual thereto for maintaining them against such pivotal movement, a releasing member for said locking means, a linked flexible member connected with said releasing member, means engaging said flexible member for moving the latter forwardly and backwardly in directions transverse to the pivots between said links, and means for maintaining the links against pivotal movement with respect to each other when said flexible member is moved either forwardly or backwardly, the last said means embodying guides between which said links move.

18. In a vending machine, a plurality of pivotally mounted article supports, locking means for maintaining them against movement about their pivot, said locking means embodying looking elements connected with and individual to the supports and movable about a pivot transverse to the pivot of the support, means tending normally to move the locking element into an active position, and means for moving the locking element about its pivot against the stress of the last said means to render the locking element inactive.

19. In a vending machine, a plurality of pivotally mounted article supports, locking means for maintaining them against movement about their pivot, said locking means embodying locking elements connected with and individual to the supports and movable about a pivot transverse to the pivot of the support, means tending normally to move the locking element into an active position, a shoulder beneath which a portion of the locking element is movable to maintain the support in operative position, and means for moving the locking element about its pivot against the stress of the last said means to render the locking element inactive.

ALFRED D. ANTOINE. ALBERT E. GEBERT. 

